Wayward
by Kanashiii
Summary: Remiel, the archangel of purgatory, has fallen to earth along with her brothers and sisters. In her desperate search for the angel Castiel, she makes an unlikely ally.
1. Chapter 1

_1_

There are a lot of things that human kind does not understand. It's only natural for humans, of course, because they are not perfect. Their flaws seem to outweigh their virtues, and overall humankind as a whole is a vice altogether.

At least, that's what the celestials believed.

This, too, was natural. It was to be expected that God's direct children would look down upon what they considered to be one of God's worst mistakes. But, then again, if it was a mistake, why had God let it go on so far? He brought down the flood, famine, war, and death itself. But nevertheless, the humans remained, and it seemed that they would remain there for a while.

Celestials, too, had many questions. This, however, was not natural nor was it allowed. Celestials could be considered something like robots. They were created to be their Father's messenger, and that was the extent of it. If one began to question why, there would be an ultimatum given to said celestial.

Nevertheless, there were times when Celestials did question the rules, more to themselves than out loud, of course. Because, in reality, they seemed to be following orders from someone they could not see, because even the celestials had never caught a glimpse of their Father.

Humankind is doubtful, questioning, and full of impurities. This is what makes a man human.

But, when the purest of beings begin to develop impurities, this is when the true fall of mankind begins.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Purgatory was a silent place. Unlike the beliefs of most people, Purgatory had a very different look to it than being the near-equivalent to Hell. No, hell looked much, much different than Purgatory.

Purgatory was a forest full of dead trees. The general atmosphere was gray, cold, and foggy. There was no night and day, and time did not pass. Purgatory was also full of creatures that, in life, were not sufficiently fit to survive. When those creatures, those monsters, died, their supposed "souls" were not sent to heaven nor to hell. They were dropped kicked into Purgatory, and were sentenced to remain there for all eternity.

The only change that was ever noticed by said creatures were the patrolling celestials that flew by. It was their duty to keep a watchful eye over Purgatory, to make sure nothing unwanted was roaming the leaf-covered floor. Occasionally, human souls wandered into the land, and it was the celestial's duty to escort the lost soul back to heaven or to hell.

These celestials, however, were ordered about by a higher power. Their general was a celestial by the name of Remiel, the Archangel of Purgatory. She was known as "The Mercy of God" and her army was as strong as that of the Archangel Michael's. Her army, however, fought the creatures of Purgatory when they began to get restless. The Leviathan were the ones that caused most problems, but Remiel and her army were able to take care of them easily.

Michael, though an Archangel, had a profound jealousy for his sister. It was not because of her army, not about her position, for he outranked her. It was because she was in possession of a powerful item by the name of Remiel's Veil. Her veil had the ability to shield celestials from the demons of hell, making it easy to transport souls back and forth from hell to Purgatory and vice versa. Michael, on the other hand, wanted to infiltrate Hell, and believed that Remiel's Veil would be able to serve that purpose greatly. Remiel, however, disagreed and refused to let her brother borrow said artifact. This led to a sort of family feud high in the heavens.

While this was happening, though, a lost angel down on earth who attempted to fix the world was about to cause immense damage without realizing it.


	3. Chapter 3

3

"We have to call him back immediately," a celestial at the head of the conference table spoke, his voice deep, rusty with authority, "I don't trust him. Not after what he did."

There was a silence as the other members pondered what he said.

"Naomi was on her way to get him back," spoke another one, her voice much smaller, "she said she wasn't sure if what Metatron told him was true."

There was another pause. They were all aware of what the celestial spoke of, but they were not sure themselves, nor would they ever rise up against Naomi, for she was feared. She was cruel and violent, and even the Archangels decided that it would be best to leave her to her own devices.

"I don't trust her," said another small voice, but this one sounded much more authoritative.

Her words pierced the silence, and it almost made the rest flinch.

She stayed calm, however, and continued to speak, "Rafael, you've seen what Naomi's been doing to the other angels, haven't you?" she turned to look at the first voice, who was now glaring at her, "the angels fear her, Rafael. We can't have this go on."

Rafael looked down, shaking his head slowly. He stood up abruptly, slamming his palms against the table, "Don't speak of your younger sister that way, Remiel. She's been doing us a favor."

Remiel flinched, then frowned, "how? By manipulating our angels? Just look at what she did to Castiel!"

"Castiel has always been a problem!" Rafael retorted, his voice growing higher.

Remiel glared at her brother, uncaring about the other angels in the room who seemed much more tense than before. "He's simply doing what he thinks is best. He's made a few mistakes in the past, I understand, but-"

"A few mistakes?" Rafael interrupted, "do you consider the murder of hundreds of our brothers and sisters a small mistake?

Remiel let out a huff, standing up to face her brother. "He's learned from his mistake, brother. Don't you see him trying to fix it? Do you not see the desperation in his gaze?"

"He's gone rogue! I don't trust him or Metatron in the slightest. They both have spent too much time down on earth! What Naomi is doing is simply disciplining them!"

"If I may," another angel stood up suddenly, causing the rest to turn their attention towards him, "I know Castiel very, very well. He was the leader of our army."

There was another pause, and Remiel smiled. "Ezekiel," she said softly, "you know, then, that Castiel is trying to do no wrong."

Ezekiel nodded, his voice calm, steady, "yes, I know Castiel very well," he repeated, "and all he wants is to repay for the sins he has committed."

Remiel was about to speak, simply to reassure Rafael of Castiel's doings, when suddenly the floor began to shake.

This, as a whole, was unnatural. There was no real "floor" in heaven.

All of the angels stood up from their seats, looking around as if someone could explain what was going on.

Remiel cried out when everything grew dark, and suddenly she could not see anything.

The last thing she felt was the sensation of falling.


	4. Chapter 4

4

There's a moment when the most powerful and the most holy drop from their sacred pedestals to join the land of the ordinary. When this happens, it's the equivalent of a mortal getting an ice cold bucket of water spilled on their face early on a Saturday morning.

It's a fascinating sight when one encounters a being that once had a power equal to that of the gods, simply drop from their high-horse and stumble around, drunken and confused.

It's a completely different story, however, when one is dropped in an unknown place, confused and scared like a startled rabbit in a cage.

It is in times of great distress and fear when demons prowl, and a wandering angel is left on her own.


	5. Chapter 5

5

It felt like days, but it had only been a few minutes.

Remiel shifted, feeling that her back was against something soft. Her eyes were closed; her fingers were stiff but began to move. Her lips parted and she seemed to let out a soft groan.

The fact that she had a tangible body should have been a red alert, but she seemed too dazed to notice.

Angels do not have forms that are capable of inhabiting the earth, and so they do the same thing demons do: possess humans. Unlike demons, however, angels require permission to possess a human, and not every human body is capable of containing a celestial being, especially an Archangel. Nevertheless, it would seem that the abruptness of Remiel's presence forced her to choose a vessel at random. It also seemed that the impact knocked her vessel out cold.

Whatever the reason, Remiel was now barely waking up.

She groaned again, managing to roll over on her side, face down. With great amounts of effort, she held herself up and her eyes fluttered open.

Her eyes fell on the ground, looking at the individual blades of grass that tickled her nose. She gasped softly, taking in the cool, crisp scent that wafted into her new nose. She was then aware of the golden blond ringlets that fell over her face. She reached up warily and stroked the soft strands with her fingers. She was then captivated by the color of her skin, a creamy peach color, soft.

The next thing she was aware of was a deafening blast and a flash of light.

Her head snapped up, and she caught a glimpse of the night sky. It was dark, but it was lit by small stars. But the thing that really lit up the night sky were the meteors that fell to the ground.

Remiel realized with a numbing shock that those were not meteors at all; they were angels.

Millions upon millions of angels cascaded down from the sky in a fiery collision with the earth. Remiel watched with both amazement and horror as her family dropped from the sky, landing somewhere on earth. The fallen angel jumped when there was another earsplitting crash somewhere near her as another celestial fell to the ground.

She watched for what seemed like hours as the sky was sprinkled with fallen angels. After the falling finally stopped, Remiel stood up, her feet wobbly as she attempted to keep her balance. It wasn't until she was aware of her surroundings that she realized she was crying. Angels did not cry.

She reached up with a delicate finger and stroked the bottom of her eyes, feeling the wetness that had accumulated there.

She sniffled for a minute, realizing now that her fingers were shaking. Her entire body began to shiver as she felt the weight of the world come crashing down onto her new, thin shoulders.

"F-Father…." She whispered softly then felt too tired to stand. She fell to her knees and began to cry again, not exactly sure herself what she was doing or why she was feeling this way. The shock of the sudden emotion drove her to small sobs as her vessel shook and shivered.

She closed her eyes, attempting to concentrate, to figure out what to do. But, in the mist of her concentration, she heard voices, millions and millions of voices all at once.

She was still an angel, and she heard the cries of her brothers and sisters.

_Where are we!?_

_What happened!?_

_Where is Castiel?!_

_Where is our Father!?_

_Lord have mercy!_

_Where am I?_

_I can't find a vessel!_

_Are we on earth?_

_Have we fallen?_

_Our grace!_

_This is Metatron's doing!_

_Naomi is dead!_

_What happened!? _

The cries all happened at once as a universal panic ensued.

Remiel attempted to calm her siblings down, but it was no use. How could she possibly calm anyone down when she herself was crying and trembling?

_I need to find… help._ She thought to herself, and stood up again.

She began to walk randomly, seeming to be drunk and lost. Tears were still filling her eyes, and the cries of the fallen were still echoing in her ears.

_Kill him!_

She stopped, listening again as the cries of terror and desperation turned into that of anger.

_This is Castiel's doing!_

_We must find Castiel!_

_He's done too much to us already!_

_He must die!_

_Kill him!_

_Kill him!_

_We must kill Castiel!_

_For what he's done to us!_

_That fool!_

Remiel suddenly broke into a stumbling run.

_No, you cannot kill Castiel! This was not his fault! _ She screamed, but her screams were miniscule and pointless.

She realized that she had to find Castiel before anyone else did.

For if someone else got a hold of him, he would surely die; she would not let that happen.

The fallen archangel stumbled through the darkness, hoping that somehow, salvation was just around the corner.


	6. Chapter 6

6

It seemed pretty clear that a black, 1970 AMX was all he needed to be content. A hunter's life wasn't full of perks really, and Nathanial Ross's life was no different. He was alone, and he preferred it that way. All he needed was himself to take care of, his car, and his music. He was always travelling, looking for possible jobs, gambling, drinking, and the like. His mentality was that, since he was going to die soon anyway, it was right for him to live his life to the fullest.

Supernatural occurrences were normal to him, but as he drove down a deserted road blasting "Highway to Hell" through open windows, he caught a glimpse of the sky and almost stopped cold.

Meteor showers he had seen, but this looked nothing like a normal meteor shower.

Nathanial parked his car and warily got out, looking up at the sky in amazement.

"What the hell…" he murmured, furrowing his dark brows in confusion.

It was by far the most unusual and beautiful thing he had ever seen. The young man stood there for a long time, simply watching in amazement and confusion. It seemed as though flaming meteors were falling from all directions, millions upon millions of them, simply touching down.

After a few moments, a thunderous smash practically ruptured his ear drums. A supposed meteor crashed close by, the force of the impact practically knocking the young hunter over. After regaining his bearings, Nathanial held onto the side of his car, his eyes shifting wildly back and forth, attempting to find where the meteor landed. The only thing he could catch a glimpse of was a bright light, like that of the sun, seeming to appear from between the trees and then disappear just as fast as it had come. He stood there for a moment, bewildered, then was distracted once again as more meteors fell from the sky, seeming to adorn the heavens with bright red dots.

After it was over, the sun was beginning to come up over the horizon. Nathanial sighed, running his fingers through his short, dark hair. He hadn't a clue what had happened, but his determination and his stubbornness, as well as his curiosity, got the best of him, and he decided to investigate.

He began to walk towards where he saw the light appear earlier, seeming wary as he walked. Years of hunting had taught him that being wary was key. One could never get too comfortable, for danger could be lurking just around the corner. He continued to walk, passed the trees and the shrubbery that lay at the edge of the highway. He heard a rustling in the leaves ahead of him, and he froze. There was something ahead of him, and though a small part of him wanted to run the other direction, the overpowering part of him that was a hunter pushed him to continue.

Being a hunter was, obviously, no easy task. His father was a hunter, and his grandfather before him. It made sense that Nathanial ended up a hunter. He remembered a time when being a hunter was a nightmare to him. It was when he was about thirteen when he told his father he would not follow in his footsteps. What Nathanial didn't know then that he knew now is that no matter how far he tried to run from his past, it would always come back. He had what he called the curse of a hunter, which was passed on to him by his family. There was a time when he hated his father, despised his grandfather, all because of the path that they had forcibly carved into Nathanial's future.

"This isn't normal!" he had yelled one day. He was with his father in a dusty motel, and he had just handed Nathanial a gun loaded with salt rounds. "Why can't I go to school, Dad? That's all I want! I won't cause any trouble, I promise!"

"You know full well why you can't," his father had answered sternly, his mouth curving into a deep frown, one that Nathanial was too used to seeing. "Being a hunter is a _privilege_. You _save_ people son, save them from things they don't even know about!"

"So? I want to live _my_ life! I want to amount to something, Dad! I'm pretty much an adult now, I can do what I want!"

There would be a long, painful pause as Nathanial's father's dark, deep-set eyes would stare directly at him. However, at this age, Nathanial was defiant and stared back at his father with the same cold eyes.

It struck his father at the time that Nathanial looked a lot like his mother. It was a difficult thing for a father to face his child, especially when that child was just as stubborn as him. Nathanial's father was almost proud of how much his son had grown, and he was happy how Nathanial had developed his own thought process, even though it meant that his father had to work harder to keep him in check.

"I want you to have the best life possible," he said softly after a long pause. The softness of his voice surprised Nathanial, but he kept himself in check. After another small pause, he continued, "but… you must understand that keeping this job going…it's… something of a curse for us."

That notion of a curse had stayed with Nathanial for the rest of his life.

He didn't know why that past memory had come back to him at this time, but he still didn't enjoy it. He seemed to snap out of it and focus on the task at hand, hearing another crinkling in the leaves. He began to creep forward like a stealthy cat searching for its prey. He was careful to make his steps as silent as possible, every footstep seeming to have purpose and precision. His eyes flickered about, trying to get them adjusted to the darkness through the trees. For a moment, it seemed like the sound was getting closer and closer.

Imagine his surprise when a girl suddenly burst through the trees, almost bumping into him.

The blond cried out, jumping back and clinging onto a tree as if her life depended on it. Her cerulean eyes were wide like that of a deer caught in the headlights.

Nathanial jumped a bit as well, seeming more frightened of a regular-looking human girl than if it was a monster.

There was a moment of complete silence as the two stared wide-eyed at each other, both waiting for their heartbeats to return to normal. The blonde blinked a few times, her lips parting as if she was about to say something, but nothing came out.

Nathanial took a moment, trying to get over the initial shock. He looked her over, noticing that she seemed disoriented and terrified. After what seemed like hours, Nathanial finally spoke up.

"H-Hello…" his voice was soft, somewhat choked as he tried to regain his bearings.

The blonde blinked a few times in confusion. How to answer? He was human, wasn't he? But maybe he was also an angel.

"Where is Castiel?" she blurted, seeming to take a big breath afterward.

Nathanial blinked a few times, his brows furrowing in confusion. Maybe she was crazy? "Um…who?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She blinked, trying to analyze his response. No, he was human. "W-Where am I?" her voice seemed to crack as she opened her mouth.

There was a long pause as Nathanial attempted to analyze the situation.

This girl was definitely lost. She had that look in her eyes, where her pupils darted back and forth as she tried to orient herself. Her posture was slightly hunched as if she was afraid to stand up straight. He legs seemed to wobble, as if she was just learning how to walk. She looked incredibly frightened, and her blond hair was messy, falling over her face.

"What's your name?" he asked, trying to make his voice as calm as possible. He wasn't sure if this girl was human or if she was a monster with human skin; it wouldn't have been the first time Nathanial encountered pretty girls that ended up being demons or whatever else.

The blond blinked again, tilting her head in curiosity. What a strange thing to ask. But, she realized, maybe it was common for humans to introduce themselves that way. "My… name…" there were a few pauses in her words as she tried to figure out what to say. Should she use a fake name? But she didn't know of any names that would sound human. After a few seconds, she gave up. "My name… is Remiel."

Nathanial blinked a few times, his brows furrowing a bit. That was an odd name, for sure. Especially for a girl as… well, maybe he wouldn't say "normal looking", definitely not. Once he got passed the initial strangeness, he realized that this girl was… well, beautiful. She seemed to have creamy, smooth skin, sky blue eyes, and golden ringlets that cascaded down her shoulders all the way to her lower back. She was staring at him with an equal amount of confusion, her full lips pressed into a soft line.

"R-Remiel?" he found himself saying, and he cursed himself internally for stuttering. He couldn't remember the last time he was with a girl that _wasn't_ some kind of stripper.

Remiel blinked when he finally spoke, as if the silence was incredibly predominant and it was starting to make her uncomfortable; maybe it was. She said nothing, simply nodding as a form of affirmation.

Nathanial cleared his throat, running his fingers through his dark hair.

Remiel tilted her head in a child-like curiosity, examining the human in front of her. He looked a bit tense. Her eyes were able to catch the flicker of movement, the shifting of his shoulders as he cleared his throat, the way he shifted his weight back and forth as if he was uncomfortable where he was standing. It was the first time she had ever seen a human in such close proximity. "Oh…" her voice was soft. She did not speak out loud intentionally; it simply slipped out.

The sound of her voice made Nathanial's eyes dart back to stare at her. _Should I help her?_ He thought to himself. That would be the right thing to do.

"Erm, listen, Remiel," he rubbed the back of his neck, "you're definitely lost… and probably confused…" he cleared his throat. He seemed to be doing that quite a bit- this bothered him a little.

"My… " she began, then pursed her lips. _My family just fell from the sky._ She looked up at the sky. It was turning from a dark navy to a lighter blue. Her eyes seemed to squint a bit, as if she wasn't used to seeing the sun rise; in reality, maybe she wasn't.

Nathanial stared at her with a sort of curiosity, curiosity mixed with worry. She was strange; he could definitely tell that, but strange how? Had she hit her head? Maybe she was sick?

"Do you live around here?" he asked, attempting to get at least a bit more information on her.

She blinked a few times, looking at him. "No," she said calmly. The way her eyes steadied on his face made Nathanial feel both warm and uncomfortable at the same time. He had never seen anyone look at him with such intensity, as if she blocked out everything around her and focused on his face alone. "I live nowhere near here," she added, breaking his train of thoughts. Her face seemed to be void of emotion, her cerulean eyes still set on his face.

Nathanial stared back at her with equal intensity for a moment, then felt his gaze break back down onto his shoes. He sighed, clearing his throat. "Do you… do you happen to know where you came from?"

At this, Remiel paused. Possible answers ran across her mind; she was much more intuitive than some of the other angels might give her credit for. She could not tell him where she came from; she couldn't trust him just yet. He wasn't a demon, though, else she would be able to tell. But knowing how earth was, he could be any other sort of creature. After thinking it through, she answered.

"No," she said quietly, deciding it more human-like to break her stare and look at the ground just as he had, "I don't remember where I was before… I woke up and I was laying on the ground just a little ways from here," she nodded her head behind her.

Nathanial bit his lip, trying to think this true. He wasn't heartless; he had to help her somehow.

Just then there was a low grumbling noise. The sound startled Remiel, making her jump before she realized she was making the noise herself. Her hand flew to her stomach, staring at it in bewilderment . _The vessel, _she thought, _this vessel requires nourishment to keep it functioning properly._

While she thought this, Nathanial actually managed a small chuckle. "Hungry?" he asked lightly, giving her a tiny smile.

She looked up. _He's smiling,_ she thought curiously, _I've never seen a human smile before._ She was lost in thought when she remembered he had asked a question. "Yes," she nodded, maybe a little to enthusiastically, "hungry."

Nathanial nodded a bit to himself. "Listen, I know it's probably kinda shady for some random dude to just… sorta pop in and ask ya to come with him, but… I don't wanna leave you all alone out here, ya know?" he rubbed the back of his neck. The more he spoke about it the more ridiculous it sounded. _I'm not a perv, I'm not a perv, _he repeated, attempting to reassure himself, "what I'm trying to say," he continued, "think I can invite you to breakfast? You… sorta look like you need it," he looked up at her again.

Remiel stared at him for a moment. "Break…fast?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to one side. The way she pronounced the word made it sound funny.

"I mean, you don't have to," Nathanial said quickly, "but… I don't wanna leave a girl all alone out here. By the way," he added quickly, "my name's Nathanial."

Remiel swallowed. It seemed as though her best bet was to go with him. Nathanial, he said. It was a nice name. She figured out her plan quickly: she would feed her vessel, then ask Nathanial to show her around. If all went well, she'd be able to find Castiel.

_Castiel._

The name almost caused her worry to choke her. She swallowed it and nodded. "Alright, Nathanial," she smiled slightly. It felt odd to her, "I'll go with you."

Nathanial let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Okay. Okay, good. Good." He nodded, then indicated with his head towards where he had parked his car, "follow me?"

Remiel nodded and began to walk with him back through the trees.

After some silence, Nathanial spoke up. "By the way," he said, turning his head slightly in her direction as he walked, "did you see that meteor shower a while ago? I've never seen anything like it."

Remiel swallowed, feeling another ache in her throat, "Yeah," her voice quivered ever so slightly, "I've… never seen anything like it either."


	7. Chapter 7

**7**

She was incredibly odd. He realized that from the moment he saw her in the woods, but now it was more pronounced. He noticed the little things, like the way she stared at his car for a moment before getting in when he opened the door before. When he got in the driver's seat, he stared at the wheel for a moment before taking a glance at her from the corner of his eyes.

She was playing with her hair, twisting one of her blond curls around her fingers. It was almost a little funny, but she seemed so concentrated on the task that he found it a bit odd. For a few moments he just watched her. Her eyes seemed to be steady on what she was doing, which he also found odd; normally people did not stay focused on one thing at a time. Eyes and gazes tended to dart back and forth without the person really realizing it.

Just as humans don't realize when their eyes are darting back and forth, they also seem to lose track of time when they are staring at something they find lovely.

"Nathanial?" Remiel spoke softly, finally breaking her concentration to turn to look at him. She had felt his gaze for some time, but she thought that him watching for this long was considered at least a little been strange.

The young hunter seemed to blink himself out of his trance before shaking his head a bit to clear his mind. He took in a deep breath to attempt to conceal the heat that was rushing up to his cheeks. This had never happened to him before; well, no, that wasn't true.

He remembered one time when he was in high school, barely a freshman. He remembered that his father was working a case in the same town and Nathan had convinced his father to let him attend high school, since the case looked like it was going to take a while to solve. Nathan was only too eager. When he was there, he met a girl. He remembered very clearly that her name was Robyn Bushannon, and, at the time, she was the loveliest girl Nathan had ever seen. He remembered that every time he tried speaking to her his words would become paste in his mouth and his heart would get stuck in his throat and his hands would get sweaty.

Since then, he had grown a lot of confidence. He had grown up to be rather handsome, and he knew this. He wasn't egotistical, but was sufficiently confident.

He still had a bit of a boyish look to him, his features not incredibly sharp or defined, but were enough to still give his jawline enough of a figure. When he was not smiling or frowning, his lips stayed in a slight pout. His nose and eyes seemed to be positioned perfectly, his eyes a deep brown color. His hair was slightly short, but still long enough to end up being a little shaggy when he woke up in the morning. His hair was a dark brown, almost black hue.

In retrospect, nowadays he definitely had luck with the ladies, but what had changed was his concern for them. Whatever relationship he was in was simply a one night stand, a simple hook up. He couldn't even remember the name of the last girl he was with, which was admittedly not that long ago.

What was different now is that he felt the same way he had with Robyn, only now it was due to Remiel sitting in the passenger seat. The feeling was almost unfamiliar to him; he hadn't felt it in so long he almost didn't recognize it.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry about that," he looked forward as he turned the ignition on. His car rumbled to life and the radio turned on.

Remiel jumped, the sudden noise startling her.

It had only been roughly a few hours since she had fallen, and she was learning newer and newer things as time passed. For example, she noticed that humans tend to fidget a lot; she wasn't sure if that was simply a universal thing or if it was just a particular characteristic of Nathanial alone. Nevertheless, she noticed he did it a lot, especially when she said his name after he was looking at her for some time. She couldn't quite comprehend why, just like she couldn't comprehend why he seemed so nervous as he drove.

"Where are we going?" she asked innocently. Her eyes seemed to be glued to the window, looking at the landscape as it zoomed by.

After Nathan turned down the volume of the radio, he focused on the road ahead of him. "Well," his voice was steadier now, "I was thinking you wanted something to eat?" the way he said it made it sound like a question.

Remiel simply nodded, seeming to engrossed in the land outside than the conversation at hand.

After a moment of silence, Nathan spoke.

"So, Remiel… Remiel, right?" he looked over at her briefly before turning back to the road.

At her name, Remiel turned and smiled, nodding.

Nathan nodded in return, "Remiel… that's a real funny name, you know that? You named after a grandparent or something?"

"No. I'm the only one in my family with that name," her voice was calm, and there seemed to be a slight smile in her voice.

"Still I mean… I dunno," he shrugged, "sorry, it's just a weird name. Remiel. Mind if I call ya Remie?"

She blinked, staring at him with a confused look on her face. "Remie?" she repeated tentatively.

He nodded, still looking at the road. They seemed to be the only ones driving.

"Yeah, Remie," he smiled slightly, "ya know, like a nickname. It's easier to say."

_Nickname?_ She thought. She didn't seem to remember hearing of such a thing. _Remie._ She tried the word, or rather name, out in her head. She had to admit it didn't sound bad.

"W-Well… sure, I suppose you may call me that," she answered warily, still not sure if this sudden change of names would have some sort of effect on her well- being.

At her tentativeness, Nathan simply chuckled. "You know, Remie," he said calmly, "you're pretty strange, you know that?"

Remiel turned to look at him, tilting her head to one side. Her eyes were big, her lashes brushing against the tops of her cheeks as she blinked. She almost looked cute. "S-Strange?" she stuttered out. She didn't find herself to be strange at all; then again, she was a fallen angel in a world full of humans. Maybe that was strange.

"Just a bit," Nathan chuckled, looking over and smiling at her briefly. After another small pause, he spoke again, "so, where exactly are you from, anyway?"

It was an innocent question, really, but it made Remiel start. Her eyes darted back and forth for a second before her gaze settled onto her lap. _Now what?_

Troubled by the silence, Nathan stole a glance in her direction. "Did… did I say something?"

Remiel cleared her throat, "N-No, it's alright," she smiled slightly, "it's just… I can't seem to remember," she lied smoothly.

Nathan bit his lip, nodding. She must've fallen somewhere and hit her head pretty hard if she couldn't remember where she was from.

Remiel stole glances out the window after a long pause. She was incredibly intrigued by the scenery: plants, trees, small houses in the middle of nowhere.

"Where… where are we?" she asked after some time.

Nathan kept his eyes on the road as he spoke, "Washington," he said calmly, looking over at her briefly, "you really hit your head pretty hard, huh?"

She swallowed and nodded.

He smiled and nodded a bit, keeping his eyes on the road.

At this next pause, Remiel took a moment to stare at Nathan out of the corner of her eye. She had never been this close to a live human before. She had encountered human souls in Purgatory before, but they weren't the same. Human souls that were lost in Purgatory behaved like mindless robots, wandering constantly, crying out every once and a while. That's how most of Remiel's angels were able to locate them; the souls would scream or cry out. Another dead indicator were if the leviathan were congregating in one place. Remiel seemed to almost shudder at the mention of the leviathan.

The leviathan were created by God before the angels themselves. They were the most powerful things God had ever manufactured, and not even the angels could kill them. They were immortal, and for a long time they inhabited the earth all on their own. They were horrifying creatures that fed on flesh, whose jaws opened to reveal two rows of razor sharp teeth that could crush bones into powder. They oozed black blood and their bodies were made of a strange, gloppy substance. The only way to render the leviathan useless was to cut off their heads and be _sure_ that the head was nowhere near the body; it would simply reattach itself. God learned, after years, that the leviathan were truly horrid creatures, and made no hesitation to lock them up somewhere where they could never, ever, come out. That was the entire purpose of Purgatory from the start; keep the leviathan in. After his first failed attempt, God created the angels, and next, humans. All throughout that time, the leviathan were growing more and more restless, more angry. They would lash out at the angels, but eventually they realized it was futile. The angels were disgusted by the leviathan; they thought even _less_ of them than they did of the humans, and for good reason too. Even though the leviathan were powerful and, some would argue, sufficiently intelligent, they lacked common sense and a sense of togetherness. Remiel had seen in more than a few cases that the leviathan would get so upset with one another that they would resort to cannibalism, which was never a pretty sight. The leviathan also seemed to have a virtually insatiable appetite, and they tried devouring anything they could find in Purgatory. If it wasn't one of their own, it was another pitiful creature stuck in Purgatory, a lost human soul, or even an angel. Remiel had learned early on, after losing one of her precious angels, that the leviathan were not as stupid as she thought.

As Remiel closed the page on that particular subject in her mind, she once again turned to look at Nathan. He was humming to himself, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the music coming from the radio. The angel was intrigued by the contour of his face, the texture and shade of his hair. She noticed the little things; his cheeks were almost a peachy shade, slightly round; his nose was small, rounded, and it pointed up ever so slightly; his lips seemed to be in a sort of pout, full and a pale shade of pink; his eyes were deep-set, his gaze soft, but something told her that his gaze could harden in certain situations. His eyes, she noticed, were a very dark shade of brown, one that almost blended with his pupils. She was staring at them now, realizing that all angels had very light colored eyes; blue, green, turquoise, or a combination of the two. In some rare cases, some angels had silver or even gold eyes. No matter the color, however, one could differentiate between the iris and the pupil.

After a moment, Nathan felt her gaze and looked over. He jumped a bit when he found her staring rather intensely at him. He averted his gaze quickly and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"A-Ah, Remie?" He said quietly, "what are you staring at?"

"Your eyes are rather lovely," she said calmly, without missing a single beat.

The abrupt compliment caught the young hunter off guard. "I… uh.. thanks, I guess…" he paused, clearing his throat again, "you… have pretty eyes too," he returned the compliment hesitantly. He wasn't used to giving or receiving compliments. He realized then that he sort of meant it; her eyes definitely were pretty.

To his surprise, Remie's eyes lit up at the compliment. She had never received one, after all.

"Do you think so?" she smiled brightly, a smile so dazzling that it almost made Nathan drive off the road.

He paused. "What? I mean… I mean yeah, yeah sure I do," he rubbed the back of his neck. _It's like she's never gotten a compliment before,_ he thought warily.

Remiel sat back in her seat for a minute, staring blankly out the windshield. She was thinking again; what exactly did humans consider to be _pretty_? Was she pretty, she wondered. She tried to look for a reflective surface. As she did, she realized she hadn't really _looked_ at herself, or rather, her vessel.

When Nathan watched her, he raised a brow. "Looking for a mirror?"

Remiel nodded.

Nathan reached over and pulled down the flap on the ceiling of the car over the windshield, what was normally used to block the sun from hitting the driver directly in the eyes. There was a small mirror attached. Nathan put both his hands back on the wheel. "There you go," he smiled.

Remiel looked at herself excitedly, then paused. Was she pretty, though? She moved her head back and forth; her reflection followed her every move. Her eyes were a starling blue, big at round; her nose was small, not completely round but more on the slender side.; her face was also slightly rounded, her cheeks a soft pink color; her skin itself was a smooth, creamy color; the most prominent feature, however, was her hair. It was golden blond, with streaks of brown and honey here and there. The curls were not tightly packed but loose enough so that they bounced slightly when she moved. She looked down at herself, looking at the rest of her body. It was slender with her hips being a bit curvier. Her stomach wasn't totally flat; she noticed that when she sat, a little bit of belly fat showed itself. She ran her hands along her thighs, which touched when she sat. Her legs weren't incredibly long, but they seemed to be strong, good for running. She ran her hands up her sides, feeling, poking. She got to her breasts and cupped them lightly in her hands. They were soft, warm. She found this interesting. They were medium sized, big enough for her have a handful of breast in each hand. She found herself a little intrigued by them.

Nathan was engrossed in looking at the road, taking a moment to switch lanes to go through an exit in the highway.

"Hey, we're almost there-" he began, then stopped. He felt the heat rush up to his face, "e-erm.. Remie? What are you doing?"

She looked up, still cupping her breasts in both hands. "Mmm?" She blinked at the expression on his face. His mouth was open, and he had a bit of a disbelieving gaze in his eyes. She put her hands down at her lap. Maybe she wasn't supposed to do that? "Forgive me," she said quickly, looking down at her lap.

Nathan cleared his throat, looking from the road to her and back again. "Erm… i-it's fine, don't worry about it…" _nothing wrong with some stranger groping herself in my car,_ he thought, genuinely unsure of what to make of the situation. He decided to just forget about it all together.

After a moment, Remiel bit her lip. "Nathanial?" she said quietly.

He looked up, "Yeah?"

"Am I pretty?"

He blinked.

_Man this chick keeps getting weirder and weirder._

"Ah… w-what?" he said warily.

Maybe she hadn't phrased the question correctly? "I mean, am I physically appealing"

"I know what pretty means," he assured her, "but uh… girls don't normally just… _ask_ people if they're pretty."

Remiel tilted her head to one side, genuinely curious. "Oh? Is that not how it works?" she frowned a little, "I was told that if one was curious to know information, one simply had to ask questions in order to obtain said information."

By this time, Nathan had pulled in to a nearby diner and parked his car in the parking lot of a nearby diner. He turned the car off and stared at her.

"Remie, asking if you're… well, attractive is… well it's one of those things you sort of have to wait for other people to tell you themselves," he explained, his voice slow.

She frowned, "I'm afraid I don't understand," she paused, "why is it that I must wait for someone to choose when to tell me the answer to an inquiry whenever they please when they can simply answer it when I probed the first time around?"

She used rather sophisticated words, he noticed. He didn't exactly know. He rubbed the nape of his neck, "Well, I dunno, Remie, that's just how it works," he shrugs.

She huffed, crossing her arms and sitting back in her seat. "How odd…" she mumbled.

_Man, she's a strange one._ He wondered if she was upset with him, then paused. "Erm… well, if it, uh, helps, Remie," he began, looking a different direction, "you're… definitely pretty, I guess." He seemed to mutter the last bit.

She blinked and looked over at him. "Really?" she smiled, rather pleased.

Nathan sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Uh, yeah, sure, whatever," he muttered, starting to get out of his car, "c'mon, let's get some food. I'm starving."

"Alright," she nodded, turning to get out. She stopped. How _was_ she supposed to get out? She looked around, unsure of how to open the door. Did it need a key? "Nathan?" she called out.

Suddenly Nathan appeared on the other side and opened the door for her, his eyebrows raised the entire time.

"Forget how to open doors?" he asked, incredulous.

She swallowed. "I… I supposed so…" she said quickly, looking down at her feet.

He sighed, "Man, you're like a little kid," he muttered, "come on."

He led her into the diner, wondering what exactly he was going to do with her; she was definitely going to be a handful to take care of. Though, for some reason, a part of him didn't mind so much.


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

There was a loud scream that penetrated the silence like a rusty knife.

"Tell me where he is."

There was a moment of panting, the catching of breath. "I… I told you… I don't know where he is-"

Another scream.

"Why are you doing this!?" the little angel cried, trying to pry her wrists free of the chains that constricted the skin.

Her captor held on firmly to the angel blade in his hand; it was the only known weapon that was capable of killing- or seriously injuring- an angel. He twirled it around in his fingers before lightly tapping the other under the chin with the tip.

"Why? Isn't it obvious?" he raised an eyebrow, his face incredibly close to hers, "if you haven't noticed, little Cassandra, we're _not in heaven anymore_," the last words sounded like a disgusted sneer.

She growled, "I see that, believe me," she frowned, still trying to catch her breath, "but why are you doing this?" she signaled as best she could to her body, which was covered in blood. The scratched had since healed, but the evidence was there; she had been here for a while. "This… I'm your sister, I see that, believe me," she frowned, still trying to catch her breath, "but why are you doing this?" she signaled as best she could to her body, which was covered in blood. The scratched had since healed, but the evidence was there; she had been here for a while. "This… I'm your sister, Bartholomew," her voice quivered, "why must you do this?"

Bartholomew let out a huff, "why do you think, dear sister?" he whispered menacingly, "I'm looking for Castiel. Don't you understand? _He _did this to us. If he did this, if he _ejected_ us from heaven, I'm going to find him and make him reverse whatever nonsense he's done this time."

"But by torturing me? Me and some of our fallen brothers and sisters? What do you hope to gain?"

"Information," he said simply, then slowly dragged the Angel Blade down her torso.

Cassandra let out a cry of pain, her body tensing and curving and the intense sting of the blade.

"Someone _must_ know where that bastard child is," he continued, stopping the blade at Cassandra's thigh, "someone will eventually squeak out his location."

"N-No one… knows where Castiel is," she panted, her small hands clenching into fists, "we haven't heard from him since the fall."

"He couldn't have just disappeared," He retorted coldly. He paused, staring at Cassandra. "You're useless." He said bitterly.

A tinge of hurt flickered in her eyes. "What has gotten into you?!"

"Quiet!" he snarled, slapping her across the face.

She shrunk back, whimpering softly.

Bartholomew growled, " not so happy now without your general with you, are you? You were the smallest in Remiel's little purgatory flock."

Cassandra stayed quiet, her blue eyes hard and cold.

"Which reminds me," he continued, "wasn't Remiel attempting to stand up for poor little Castiel during the meeting? She was the only one who did," he grinned, "I bet she's in search of Castiel as well."

"What are you getting at?" she asked softly.

"I'll find our dear sister Remiel and… ask her _nicely_ if she knows where Castiel is."

"If she knew, she wouldn't tell you. You've always been trouble, Bartholomew!"

"I said QUIET," he yelled, sticking the blade in her thigh.

Cassandra screamed in pain. He grinned.

"You know why else I'm doing this?" he hissed violently in her face, moving his lips to her ear, "because I'm sick of being such a low rank. Once I kill all the angels that get in my way and get a hold of Castiel- why, if all goes well, I'll become God."

Cassandra's eyes widened ten-fold at this new revelation. She began to thrash around, the chains clattering as they collided with the wall and one another.

"You filthy devil!" she shrieked, "you can't do that! How dare you murder your kin!?"

He stepped back and shook his head, his expression frighteningly calm. "Because I need to do that in order to get what I want," he said simply, then added, "well, it was lovely seeing you, Cassandra, but it's time for us to part ways."

There was a pause before she realized what he meant. She began to thrash again, crying and wailing.

"W-Wait! Bartholomew, wait please don't-"

He didn't even hesitate when he plunged the Angel Blade into her chest. There was a bright blue light as the angel inside the human vessel died.

The body slumped forward, unmoving.

Bartholomew let the Angel Blade down with a clatter. "I need to wash my hands," he mumbled, looking at his blood covered hands.

"Bartholomew?" a female voice called from the doorway.

"What? Don't you see I'm in the middle of an execution?" he asked, annoyed.

The other cleared her throat. "T-There seems to be locations as to the whereabouts of Remiel," she said slightly nervously.

His eyes lit up, "well well, is that so?"

She swallowed and nodded.

Bartholomew let out a triumphant chuckle, nodding. "Good, then. We'll have ourselves a little fun."


End file.
